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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23872132">A Familiar Face</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/anjasmh/pseuds/anjasmh'>anjasmh</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Just Roll With It (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Writing this made me sad, i dont know how to use this website sdjs, sorry lol</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:22:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,295</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23872132</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/anjasmh/pseuds/anjasmh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>br'aad goes to a bookshop and then has a Not Very Good time bc he misses his build-a-boyf that the discord made for him n then killed (sorry br'aad lol)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Br'aad Vengolor/Bailey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Familiar Face</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It seemed a perfectly normal shop, and to anyone else it would have been, but to B’raad Vengolor it was far too close to home. As he opened the door and stepped inside, a bell rang to notify whoever else was inside of a new potential customer. As he looked around the inside, Br’aad tried to calm himself. He wasn’t sure why, but he’d been thinking about… him more than usual the past few days - remembering happier times, picnics in the sun, reading together - </p><p>He shook his head. Normally he was better than this at forgetting. Once again he looked around the store, took deep breaths, noted how the sunlight shone through the dust in the air, making golden patterns that danced briefly before settling onto the piles of books all around the room. </p><p>
  <em> Okay. I’m okay. </em>
</p><p>As the footsteps from the back of the shop came closer, Br’aad managed to push <em> those </em> thoughts to the back of his mind. He was here because he needed books on magic, his new magic, so that he could use his changed powers for the good of his friends. The shopkeeper came into view behind the counter and… Oh, fuck. You have got to be kidding.</p><p>By some cruel trick of fate, a hobgoblin stood before Br’aad, wearing the same reading glasses <em> he </em> used to wear, with long dark hair just as curly, his skin the same coral and his eyes the same deep, deep blue that Br’aad missed so dearly. Br’aad’s heart dropped, and it took a moment to realise the shopkeeper was speaking.</p><p>“Welcome! How can I help you?”</p><p>Bailey didn’t have a brother. Did he? He never really talked about his family, but Br’aad was sure he would know, right? Right?? He wouldn’t leave something like that out, and they talked so much so often it must have come up… No, this had to be just his awful luck.</p><p>As these thoughts raced through his mind at a mile a minute, Br’aad stared blankly.</p><p>“Um… is everything okay?”</p><p>At least his voice is different. Okay. Deep breaths. Look straight ahead, and whatever you do, do <em> not </em> make eye contact.</p><p>“Yes, I am quite all right! Thank you for asking, Bail- I’m just looking for… uhh…” Shit. What was it? Books, right? “Books!”</p><p>The shopkeeper looked bemused. “Well, yes. That’s to be expected, considering that this is a bookstore and all. Did you have anything more specific in mind?”</p><p>Br’aad’s eyes moved around frantically, his mind trying to retrieve what had been so clear only moments before, and as he mistakenly caught the bookkeeper’s concerned eyes he was suddenly back in that horrible moment, holding the love of his life in his arms, sobbing as he watched the vitality fade from those beautiful, beautiful eyes, feeling more helpless and angry and afraid he’d ever felt, and then he was back in the bookshop but those feelings weren't gone and he was on the floor and there were tears in his eyes, too many tears, and oh gods how must he look right now?</p><p>“Hey, hey, it’s okay, nothing will hurt you in here. I can promise you that. Can I do anything to help? I’m not sure what’s wrong, but I have tea, and I’m sure you’d feel at least a little better in a chair than on the floor. Come here, let me help you up.”</p><p>Br’aad stared wordlessly ahead as he allowed the burly man to practically carry him to a leather reading chair, and found it hard to let go as he sat him down as gently as he could. How was he so much the same? He was even around the same height, not shorter than Br’aad enough to really matter, but enough to be relentlessly teased when he allowed it.</p><p>“Now, just stay there and take some deep breaths. I’ll be back with some tea, all right?”</p><p>Br’aad let himself sink into the chair for a moment. Everything was so similar to that day they first met, and he remembered doing exactly this same thing when Bailey had first helped him. He’d been distrusting at first, but allowed himself to enter that cottage when he realised he had really no other choice, and made a beeline for the huge comfy reading chair straightaway. It had taken only a few weeks to call the cottage home, and he wasn’t sure how much he was imagining, but the room he was in now even had the same smell, of beloved old books and candles and ink, and he was almost sure if he looked out the window he’d be able to see Bailey feeding the chickens, or milking the cows, or just sitting in a field and watching his pets contentedly. </p><p>...He wouldn’t though. All he’d see would be a filthy town in a world where Bailey was dead and gone and it was all Br’aad’s fault. If he’d been crying before, it was nothing to the flood of tears that threated to break through as he remember that stupid mistake.</p><p>The sound of footsteps from another room in the shop began once again, and Br’aad, realising that to talk to the shopkeeper would be more sheer torture that he didn't think he could take any more of, ran out of the shop and slammed the door behind him, hearing that same bell now bidding him a hasty farewell, and sprinted into the nearest alley. Now out of sight, Br'aad collapsed against the wall and let out the grief that had been building up all this time. He’d been able to keep it away for months, but this was just too much - seeing those cursed flowers that were all too like forget-me-nots and having to sit there and wait and pretend to be fine as Taxi made a <em> flower crown </em> out of them, of all things, and put it onto Chirp’s head, then the constant nagging thoughts of Bailey that just didn't let up, then the bookshop. Damn that bookshop. All he’d wanted was some clarity, but now he just felt so much worse. </p><p>It was hard to tell how long Br’aad sat there, crying his heart out, but he felt the chill of the evening wind start to creep in and began to wonder if he should try to find his friends before nightfall. </p><p>Standing up, he attempted to wipe his tears with his already soaked sleeve and saw Taxi leaving the bookshop, looking around worriedly. Time to push those thoughts all the way back again. </p><p>As Br’aad tried his best to clear his mind and stepped out of the alleyway, he heard his dear Tabaxi friend call out to him, and Taxi ran across the street, yelling,“Br’aad! Where the hell have you been? We were meant to meet up at the tavern, like, an hour ago, and -,” he paused on seeing Br’aad’s face closer up “Gods, are you okay? I talked to the shopkeeper, but he seemed about as confused as I am. What happened in that bookstore?”</p><p>“Oh, nothing too bad. You know, I just… I got some dust in my eye is all. I’ll be all right, I think it’s- out… of my eye... now.”<br/>“You got dust in your eye. For three hours. “</p><p>“...”</p><p>“Forgive me, Br’aad, but that is one of the least convincing things I have ever heard you say.”</p><p>“Yeah, well, I tried. Look, it’s not something I really want to talk about right now. Where are the others?”</p><p>“Probably regrouped back at the tavern again by now. We should head back, let ‘em know you didn’t get stabbed or anything.”</p><p>“Okay. Listen, would you mind not mentioning this? To them? I - I’m not really sure how to talk about it yet.”</p><p>“Yeah, of course.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i don't often write things like this so uhh ! be nice please ! but also .., h e l p</p><p>not sure i like how i ended this but it's fine ig</p><p>if youre wondering who tf bailey is that's fair look at this doc  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TDY9x_hJT9zmMro9xgLqlouFsfpWSnAchoQLXT4gty0</p></blockquote></div></div>
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